LSC 251 Final Exam: UW Madison
questions well answered to pass
Define wicked science and describe 2 reasons science is become more wicked. - correct answer
✔✔ Wicked problem = a problem w/value trade-offs, no single best solution, and requires
policy implications
the 4 reasons science is becoming more wicked:
1. fast-moving disruptive science--quick transition from the lab to being developed (ex. covid
vaccines and contact tracing)
2. many of the questions raised by emerging technologies don't have technical answers--raises
moral, political, and social concerns that emerge w/little time for public debate (ex. self driving
cars--can't decide which moral choices to train the car)
3. most media organizations don't have traditional science sections anymore--90% of people
writing about science aren't employed by major media outlets and write on their own, fiscal
incentives for polarization to feed the audiences paying them which is highly problematic having
different realities of science
4. many scientists don't see communication as part of their job--15% of scientists don't talk to
non-scientists
Compare and contrast agenda building and agenda setting. What do they have in common and
how do they differ? - correct answer ✔✔ agenda building = the media decides what issues are
most important how highly displayed they are to the audience
3 components of agenda building:
1. newsvalues--if the event is infrequent, close to home, etc. it will be displayed regardless of
what the public wants
2. newswork-media agendas based on journalistic decisions, not just objective reality. 2
conflicting systems: watchdog model ("bark" louder to emphasize certain things) and mirroring
reality (all events should be reported equally)
3. audience demand-algorithms/what people will pay attention to
, agenda setting = the issues displayed as important by the media will be the most important
issues on the audience's mental agenda
common = they work together to prime our attitudes on topics and how we evaluate the info
given to us by the media
differ= building the media vs how the media is interpreted
Explain quasi-statistical sense in the spiral of silence process. - correct answer ✔✔ quasi
statistical sense = we all have a pretty good idea of our social environment and what
issues/candidates they support
spiral of silence= 1) we are less likely to express an opinion on a controversial issue if we feel
that the majority of the public holds an opposing view and 2) leads the minority opinion to fall
silent and the majority gets louder and eventually is established as a social norm
*Asch experiments- we don't like being on the outside, we will do the wrong thing just to be
apart of the majority
In class, Dietram said, "No one supports or advocates for censorship to protect themselves."
What effect does this quote relate to? Describe the effect and its connection to support for
censorship. - correct answer ✔✔ Third person effect
-our view of other makes us support censorship
-ex. we want to ban video games and pornography b/c we think others can't handle them
-Delaware model
-using what we think about people as heuristic
Use a scientific topic to describe how the spiral of silence works. Focus your explanation on just
two (rather than all) of the key ideas underlying the spiral of silence. - correct answer ✔✔ 1) if
someone is an environment where everyone else is wearing a mask for covid, they will be aware
of this and wear one too so they aren't an outside, even if they don't believe in the benefits of
questions well answered to pass
Define wicked science and describe 2 reasons science is become more wicked. - correct answer
✔✔ Wicked problem = a problem w/value trade-offs, no single best solution, and requires
policy implications
the 4 reasons science is becoming more wicked:
1. fast-moving disruptive science--quick transition from the lab to being developed (ex. covid
vaccines and contact tracing)
2. many of the questions raised by emerging technologies don't have technical answers--raises
moral, political, and social concerns that emerge w/little time for public debate (ex. self driving
cars--can't decide which moral choices to train the car)
3. most media organizations don't have traditional science sections anymore--90% of people
writing about science aren't employed by major media outlets and write on their own, fiscal
incentives for polarization to feed the audiences paying them which is highly problematic having
different realities of science
4. many scientists don't see communication as part of their job--15% of scientists don't talk to
non-scientists
Compare and contrast agenda building and agenda setting. What do they have in common and
how do they differ? - correct answer ✔✔ agenda building = the media decides what issues are
most important how highly displayed they are to the audience
3 components of agenda building:
1. newsvalues--if the event is infrequent, close to home, etc. it will be displayed regardless of
what the public wants
2. newswork-media agendas based on journalistic decisions, not just objective reality. 2
conflicting systems: watchdog model ("bark" louder to emphasize certain things) and mirroring
reality (all events should be reported equally)
3. audience demand-algorithms/what people will pay attention to
, agenda setting = the issues displayed as important by the media will be the most important
issues on the audience's mental agenda
common = they work together to prime our attitudes on topics and how we evaluate the info
given to us by the media
differ= building the media vs how the media is interpreted
Explain quasi-statistical sense in the spiral of silence process. - correct answer ✔✔ quasi
statistical sense = we all have a pretty good idea of our social environment and what
issues/candidates they support
spiral of silence= 1) we are less likely to express an opinion on a controversial issue if we feel
that the majority of the public holds an opposing view and 2) leads the minority opinion to fall
silent and the majority gets louder and eventually is established as a social norm
*Asch experiments- we don't like being on the outside, we will do the wrong thing just to be
apart of the majority
In class, Dietram said, "No one supports or advocates for censorship to protect themselves."
What effect does this quote relate to? Describe the effect and its connection to support for
censorship. - correct answer ✔✔ Third person effect
-our view of other makes us support censorship
-ex. we want to ban video games and pornography b/c we think others can't handle them
-Delaware model
-using what we think about people as heuristic
Use a scientific topic to describe how the spiral of silence works. Focus your explanation on just
two (rather than all) of the key ideas underlying the spiral of silence. - correct answer ✔✔ 1) if
someone is an environment where everyone else is wearing a mask for covid, they will be aware
of this and wear one too so they aren't an outside, even if they don't believe in the benefits of
